What does a red-eared slider need? How to care for an aquatic turtle at home Turtle contents

The slow-moving reptile is not an affectionate, playful creature and may seem rather boring. And yet, turtles have gained incredible popularity, and only by becoming the owner of this animal can you fully understand the secret of its charm. But first of all, you need to find out the basic requirements and features of keeping amazing ancient creatures.

The most common species as pets are those that live in water, such as red-eared freshwater turtles, marsh turtles, and musk turtles.

Red-eared freshwater turtle

Land species are also attractive, of which the Central Asian and star tortoises are most often kept at home.

Star (Indian) tortoise

Keeping a turtle at home - choosing a pet

The choice of turtle species primarily depends on the wishes and capabilities of the owner - the maintenance and needs of aquatic and terrestrial animals differ significantly.

Whatever type is chosen, it is better to purchase a captive-bred animal directly from a breeder rather than a wild-caught specimen. wildlife, which can be injured during capture or transportation and be a carrier of diseases. It is important to remember that terrestrial and aquatic turtles can carry salmonella, so careful hygiene is necessary when handling these animals.

Land turtles hibernate, so it would be wise to make your purchase in the spring or summer time to be able to observe your pet before he decides to start wintering.

Terrestrial species can live up to 100 years and have special needs, requiring long walks outside or being kept indoors. fresh air V warm weather, while semi-aquatic and aquatic species require a large tank, filter and other expensive equipment.

Keeping a turtle at home - arranging the pet

Any tank designed to house turtles at home must have a reliable filtration system to keep the water clean and healthy microflora. These large reptiles produce a lot of waste, so you need a powerful specialized filter to purify the water.

Terrarium for keeping red-eared turtle at home

A quality heater will also be needed. Like all reptiles, the turtle is a cold-blooded animal and needs warmth to keep warm and gain energy. In addition, special UVA / UVB lamps are needed to enable the turtle to produce vitamin D, the deficiency of which leads to softening of the shell and problems with the bones. The temperature is maintained at 25-27 °C, and it should be remembered that algae will begin to rapidly develop in warm water, so these processes should be carefully controlled.

Naturally, land species completely different needs. While small turtles can adapt to living in the enclosed space of a small terrarium, large adult turtles should spend more time outdoors. Adult tortoises can develop severe metabolic disorders that lead to kidney failure if optimal levels of temperature, humidity, and fresh air are not provided.

For land turtles, a small pool will be equipped in the terrarium - the depth of the shell, from which the pet will drink water and maintain optimal hydration of all integuments. The water is changed regularly, at least once a day.

Terrarium for keeping a land turtle at home

Keeping a turtle at home - what to feed?

Nutritional requirements vary considerably from species to species, and of course larger individuals require more food. Before purchasing a reptile, it is important to learn about the food requirements and feeding habits of your favorite species.

Many people believe that turtles, both land and aquatic, are vegetarians, but in fact they are omnivores, and eat meat and fish, vegetables and herbs. However, a vegetarian diet is perfectly acceptable if the nutritional deficiencies are supplemented with special foods, vitamins and mineral supplements.

Exist Various types commercial turtle foods and supplements available in pet stores. In addition, the diet is varied with vegetables, fruits, herbs, fish, gammarus, squid and large bloodworms.

Aquatic turtles - experience of feeding and keeping

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Small turtles living in pet store aquariums attract the attention of not only children, but also adults with their touching appearance and extraordinary coloring. Children often ask to buy such a turtle for home. When purchasing a new pet, adults understand that they will have to care for the animal. And although a turtle is not as noticeable as a dog or cat, and it is easy to forget about it, it needs feeding and care, like any pet.

water turtle

You can keep it at home Caspian, marsh or red-eared water turtle. It usually comes into the house from a pond in a neighboring park; the red-eared fish is purchased at the store.

What to look for when buying an aquatic turtle:

1. Behavior: coordination of movements, activity.
2. Appearance: the shell must be correct form with even flaps adjacent to each other. There should be no damage or unwanted stains on it.
3. Mucous oral cavity in healthy reptiles it is light pink in color, without whitishness or plaque.
4. The turtle's breathing should be silent.
5. There should be no discharge from the nose and mouth.

Water turtle at home

For keeping a turtle need an aquarium, the volume of which depends on the size of the reptile. Its width should be twice as large as its height. When choosing an aquarium, keep in mind that small turtles grow quickly. However, it is not worth purchasing it for “growth”. In a large aquarium, a small turtle will feel uncomfortable. It is best to first buy a small, inexpensive aquarium, and then replace it with a larger one.

Setting up an aquarium and caring for turtles

Aquatic turtles crawl onto land from time to time, so the aquarium should be designed in such a way that there is a shore in it. Reptiles will climb onto it to bask and crawl.

It is worth immediately paying attention to the fact that plastic island is inconvenient. The turtles slide off it. It is best to choose a rough, gently sloping bank.

The land in the aquarium should occupy approximately one-fourth of the total area. It is necessary to leave at least thirty centimeters of space from it to the edge of the container. Otherwise the turtles may escape.

If you install a yellow incandescent lamp above the island, then the water in the aquarium does not need to be heated. The water should not heat up more than twenty-one degrees. It should be changed quite often to prevent a musty smell. This negatively affects the health of pets.

It is better to remove small turtles from the aquarium and place them in a warm and dry place. For example, in a box covered with a towel. Then they will grow and develop better.

Nutritional Features

Little turtles should be fed every day. As they grow older, the number of meals is reduced to once every three days. Sometimes turtles may refuse food, then they need to be fed with guppy fish.

The diet of aquatic turtles must include lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey) and chopped vegetables. It is recommended to give adult reptiles supplements containing microelements, calcium and vitamins necessary for proper development and growth of an aquatic turtle.

Red-eared or sea turtle

This species of turtle has a dark brown or slightly greenish shell, membranes between the legs and red ear stripes behind the eyes.

With good care they can live up to thirty years.

Since sea turtles are aquatic, they should be kept in spacious aquaterrariums. Its structure should be the same as for aquatic turtles.

For the aquarium, use ordinary tap water, standing for 24 hours. It should be changed once a month. You need to put pebbles on the bottom of the aquarium.

For supporting desired temperature the aquarium is equipped with an incandescent lamp, and for good development turtles - with an ultraviolet lamp.

Nutrition

Since sea turtles are predators, their diet must include: must include meat, various seafood and fish without large bones. You should not give them fatty fish (sprat, capelin, mackerel).

But meat should not be the main food. If sea ​​turtles feed only meat, they will inevitably develop rickets. The diet of young turtles should include animal feed. For older reptiles, plant foods (seaweed, lettuce, pond algae) are preferable. Pet sea turtles often suffer from calcium deficiency. Therefore, it is recommended to add vitamins containing calcium or crushed eggshells to their diet.

At first, to feed the sea turtle, the food should be placed at the water's edge. Once your pet gets used to it, you can start feeding it on the island by placing the food in a saucer of water.

Handling and caring for babies

Having bought a small turtle, you should know that they are still very tender. You need to make sure they are comfortable and eating well. Cubs are very susceptible to diseases, so they high level mortality.

You should not pick up small turtles. They may get scared and get sick. Also, do not stand over the aquarium and knock on the glass. Pets need to be given a few days to get used to it before they start eating.

Small turtles have a yolk sac on their plastron. Newly hatched cubs consume it nutrients. This pouch should not be touched or removed. During the first time, turtles may refuse food and begin to eat only when the yolk sac resolves.

Water temperature for baby aquariums should be 26–27C, that is, higher than for adult sea turtles. It should be changed every two days.

The small turtles are fed special turtle food. It is not recommended to keep baby and adult turtles together.

Possible problems

With improper care the animal may get sick. Diseases most often manifest themselves with symptoms such as:

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should consult a specialist. You should not self-medicate!

Land turtles

The most common is the Central Asian one, which can be purchased without any problems at any pet store. The homeland of such turtles is the deserts and steppes of Asia. That's why they are sometimes called steppe. The shell of the land turtle is yellow-brown in color, and its length is from twenty to thirty centimeters. Reptiles have four toes on their front paws.

For land turtles, a terrarium is usually prepared, but if one is not available, an ordinary cardboard box or plastic container will do.

Bottom of the container covered with clean hay or sawdust. It is not recommended to use soil or sand. In order for the turtle to periodically grind down its claws, it is worth placing several large stones in the terrarium.

The terrarium must be equipped with an infrared heater or incandescent lamp. So that the turtle does not suffer from a lack of sunlight, an ultraviolet lamp should be installed.

Turtles do not really like attention to them and often hide. Therefore, you can build a “house” for them. You can make it from cut lengthwise flower pot, half of which will become a shelter for your pet.

Land turtles love to eat vegetables (mashed carrots, zucchini), fruits (apples and others), dandelions and lettuce. Dandelions can be dried for the winter.

Turtles “drink” through their skin, so they should be bathed at least once a week. For this, the water temperature should be about +32C, and its level should be up to the middle of the shell.

Overgrown claws prevent the turtle from walking. If they do not grind off on the stone, then they need to be trimmed. This is usually done with nail scissors or tongs.

Land turtles need to be cared for especially carefully during their molt. To do this, add baking soda to the water while bathing (one teaspoon per liter of water). During molting, the pet bathes in this solution no more than twice. Do not lubricate the shell with lotions or oils. They only clog the pores on the skin, but have practically no benefit.

In summer, at temperatures above +20C overland You can walk turtles. A green lawn with dandelions and clover growing is suitable for this.

Having created everything the necessary conditions your pet, he will feel good and comfortable throughout his many tortoise years. Do not forget that an animal is still not a toy, but a creature that needs care and attention.

Land turtles are considered one of the best types for keeping at home, since they are characterized by increased vitality and unpretentiousness to the environment. They easily adapt to a new place and do not require much difficult conditions maintenance and care, have small dimensions suitable for an apartment and at the same time are relatively inexpensive. All these advantages contribute to the fact that representatives of this type are most often chosen as such an exotic pet.

Land turtles at home

Land turtle at home: care

Caring for a land turtle is minimal. Once a week it must be bathed in a basin with warm (up to +30°C) water, the level of which should not be higher than half the shell. When an animal sheds while bathing, it is useful to add a teaspoon of soda to the water. Overgrown claws can interfere with the turtle's movements, so they should be shortened, best with a nail file.

It is important to constantly clean the terrarium as it becomes dirty. You need to change the water in the drinking bowl and clean the plate of food every day.

In the summer, land turtles can be walked on a grassy lawn, as long as it is warm (from +20°C).

Feeding land turtles in the house

The best care for these animals is a balanced diet." ?" - a question that arises in any inexperienced owner. Domestic land turtles are excellent eaters of various vegetables and fruits, herbs and dandelions, and such products must be included in the diet of these animals. They can also be given earthworms and snails without shells, and in the summer they can be pampered with strawberries, dandelions, raspberries and grass. All food for land turtles must be finely chopped before serving. It is worth adding calcium supplements and vitamins to your food from time to time. The food is served on a large shallow dish.

The diet and menu for land turtles is set depending on their age. Young turtles need to be fed daily, and adult turtles should be fed generously, but every other day, including minced meat in their menu once a week.

Land turtle: what you need to know about hibernation

The statement that land turtles must hibernate annually is not always true. At home, this is not even advisable. The whole point is that only a specialist can prepare the animal for hibernation and ensure the correctness of such rest, otherwise the turtle may fall asleep forever. If your pet spends a long time in the corner of the terrarium and eventually tends to burrow into the ground, then it is likely that he is preparing for hibernation. To prevent this, the animal must be fattened and carefully read the specialized literature on ensuring turtle hibernation so that your pet comes out of it alive and healthy.

Land turtles at home with good care and proper nutrition can live up to 15-30 years. By taking this animal into your home, you take responsibility for its life, and how many years it will delight you with its presence in your home depends on how you take care of your turtle.

Nowadays it has become fashionable to keep exotic animals at home, for example, a turtle. These exotic representatives of the flora are aquatic and terrestrial. If you care for them correctly, keeping a turtle will not cause any big problems.

Many people mistakenly believe that a land turtle can easily move around an apartment and does not need its own house. However, it is worth considering some points:

Thus, the land woman must have her own place to live. The best home There is a special terrarium for her. He will definitely must be horizontal, about 60 cm long and 40 cm wide. Such big sizes This animal needs a terrarium for free movement and you should not cover it too much with branches and sticks.

The bottom of the terrarium is covered with a special coating that is easy to care for. You can use a mixture of sand and clay, coarse gravel, hay or sawdust. Some people mix these types of fillers. The optimal layer thickness should be three centimeters.

Caring for a land turtle includes heating and lighting the terrarium. In their natural habitat, these animals receive sufficient amounts of ultraviolet radiation. Lack of sunlight at home contributes to the occurrence of diseases in these animals, therefore two types of lamps are installed above the terrarium.

An incandescent lamp maintains the required temperature in the terrarium. Its power should be 60-100 W and it should be installed at a distance of 35 centimeters from the surface. As a result, half or 1/3 of the terrarium area will be illuminated, and the temperature under the lamp should be about 35 degrees. The temperature in an unlit place is usually around 24 degrees.

The ultraviolet lamp provides the turtle with vitamin D and promotes the absorption of calcium, which is so necessary for its growth. If you don't install it, the animal often develops rickets and other serious diseases. The lamp is installed 40 cm directly above the turtle, because glass makes it difficult for the healing rays to penetrate and the effectiveness of the lamp may not be as great.

To maintain the temperature in the terrarium all day, place a flat stone under the lamp. It retains heat well from the lamp when it is turned on and releases it when it is turned off.

Feeding a land turtle

Thus, the diet of a land turtle usually includes the following foods:

As supplements, turtles are given special dry food, sunflower seeds, dry seaweed, bran and soybean meal.

By the way, the turtle can be given the following products only 1-2 times a month: dry seaweed, horseradish, dry yeast, onions, herbs, bran, garlic, rhubarb and asparagus. You can feed her once a week minced meat or seafood.

It is strictly forbidden to feed this animal potatoes, poisonous mushrooms, eggshells, grasshoppers, crickets, locusts. Also, do not give her bread, cereal, milk, citrus peels, berry or fruit seeds.

The turtle must be constantly given fresh drinking water. Can buy a special drinker or install a heavy ceramic container in the terrarium. To keep the water constantly warm, the drinker should be placed under a lamp.

Land turtle hygiene at home

Caring for turtles also involves keeping them clean. They often get dirty by digging in the soil that covers the bottom of the terrarium, and the skin around the mouth becomes contaminated with food particles. This is why they should be bathed constantly. For this used warm water , to which baking soda is added (1 teaspoon of soda is added to 1 liter of water). Water is poured into a shallow bath and the turtle is immersed in it, leaving only the head on the surface.

At first the animal begins to worry, then calms down and freezes. After 20 minutes, it is taken out and left to dry, after which the skin is lubricated with a small amount of olive oil. The air temperature in the room where the turtle is bathed should be 23 degrees; at a lower temperature it may catch a cold.

Caring for a land turtle includes personal hygiene. Categorically It is forbidden to wash the feeder and drinker in the kitchen sink.

How long can land turtles live?

The lifespan of turtles at home is somewhat different than those living in their natural habitat. This type of domestic land turtle, like the Central European one, can live up to 40 years, and it practically does not get sick. Other species reach the age of 20 years, with land species living longer than waterfowl.

Thus, keeping and caring for a turtle at home is not that difficult. Therefore, you can safely purchase it for your child.

TO gave me this drink at my request land turtle, when I was 5 years old for 25 rubles. We came to a woman’s apartment; she had two turtles, a female and a male, sitting in a small plastic box. The female was greenish and I didn’t like it, so I decided to get a male

In terms of size, it was basically the same as it is now, or maybe I just didn’t notice the difference in size over these 20 years. As a matter of principle, I do not feed him unnatural food, which is recommended to be fed in books - for example, meat, boiled eggs, etc.

He eats dandelions, apples, cucumbers, loves tomatoes and yellow dandelion flowers. In the summer, I go for walks with him to the quarry and to the river, so that the turtles can take a break from the apartment routine and remember their homeland - nature

The shell of the Central Asian tortoise is low, round, yellowish-brown in color, with vague dark spots; The carapace has 13 horny scutes, the plastron has 16, there are 25 scutes on the sides of the carapace, each of the 13 scutes of the carapace has grooves, usually the number of grooves corresponds to the number of years the turtle has lived (similar to circles on a cut of a tree). The size of the turtle usually does not exceed 20 cm (the record specimen is 28 cm). Females of Central Asian turtles are noticeably larger than males. There are 4 toes on the front legs of the Central Asian tortoise, and several small horny tubercles on the back of the hips.

The Central Asian tortoise is distributed in the southern regions of Kazakhstan, throughout the plain Central Asia, in North-Eastern Iran, Afghanistan, in the north-western regions of India and Pakistan. She lives in clayey and sandy deserts with thickets of wormwood, tamarisk or saxaul, in the foothills up to altitudes of 1200 m above sea level, in river valleys, on agricultural lands. Its numbers in many places are very high. Despite this, the Central Asian turtle is listed in the international Red Book

In June 2010, I decided to do a souvenir photo shoot for my beloved turtle, this is what happened

Some people keep the turtle “free-range”, but this is absolutely wrong, since heat-loving animals suffer greatly from drafts, as well as from various dust and dirt on the floor. It is possible to keep them in a pen, for example, in a kitchen or bathroom, equipped with a warm floor and heating from above - but still, the best for turtles, of course, is a terrarium;

For one turtle you will need a horizontal type terrarium, with minimum sizes 50(length)*40(width)*30(height including space for the lamp);
It is best to use small pebbles as soil; If a turtle has a tendency to swallow pebbles, they should be immediately replaced with very large ones. Central Asian turtles are big fans of bathing, be sure to bathe them 2 times a week clean water+30 +32 C.

You will need a heating lamp, usually an incandescent lamp is enough to illuminate 1/2, 1/3 of the area of ​​the terrarium; The power of the lamp depends on the volume of the terrarium - approximately 4 watts of power will be required per liter of volume. An ultraviolet lamp must also be present, since due to a lack of sunlight, rickets can begin, which, unlike in humans, can begin at any age of the turtle.

The ideal temperature for land turtles is +26 – +30C.

Do not place the food container under a lamp.

A turtle definitely needs shelter. Ideally, one shelter for each individual; An ordinary ceramic flower pot, sawn into two halves so that the turtle can turn around, works well as a shelter. It is recommended to sand the edges so that the turtle does not get cut; or a wooden house, but so that the nails do not stick out!!!

It is also not necessary, but it is advisable, if the size of the terrarium allows, you can place a bowl filled with water there, where the turtle could swim at any time. To do this, you also need a thermal wire (it should be protected with a layer of polystyrene foam, since the scoop can dig out and get burned on hot lead) so that the water is warm. Turtles have a habit of defecating in this bathing vessel, so be prepared to change the water.

What to feed turtles

Turtles are fed every day, preferably at the same time;

The main food for turtles is vegetable,

• Poisonous plants: nightshade, buttercup, medicinal plants containing alkaloids, dieffenbachia (Diffenbachia spp.), euphorbia (Euphorbia spp.), azalea (Azalia spp.), elodea, lagenandra, ambulia (limnophila), oleander, narcissus, spurge, crocus, cyclamen, delphinium, foxglove, hydrangea, jasmine, lilies, lobelia, lupine, mistletoe, potato leaves, rhododendron...
• Citrus peels, fruit and berry seeds.
• Eggshells, ground egg shells (can cause salmonellosis).
• Canned and dry food for domestic warm-blooded animals and fish.
• Human food: porridge, cheese, any bread, rolls, dumplings, milk, cottage cheese, boiled or fried food, raw and boiled eggs.
• Animal food for Central Asian land turtles and most land species: meat, fish, insects. If land turtles, whose digestive tract is configured for slowly digesting food, are fed protein foods for a long time, then uric acid, formed during the breakdown of proteins, cannot be released in sufficient quantities, as a result, the kidneys do not work well. Meat contains more than just protein, and turtles do not have the ability to break down and remove such substances from the body.

  Foods harmful to turtles large quantities

• Plants containing increased amount oxalates (which interfere with the absorption of calcium in the intestines and can lead to the development of false gout): spinach, bean sprouts, rhubarb.
• Growogenic plants (cause iodine deficiency and goiter): various varieties of cabbage, radishes, turnips, radishes, mustard and wild cruciferous vegetables.
• Tomatoes and other foods rich in phosphorus interfere with the absorption of calcium.
• Foods rich in purines or potentially alkaline (may contribute to the development of true gout): asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, cereal grains, mustard, mushrooms, pineapples, as well as raw liver, kidneys and fatty fish.
• The following fruits, herbs and vegetables: potatoes, celery, lettuce, onions, garlic, cruciferous vegetables, rhubarb, herbs (thyme, basil), pear, many sweet fruits, cherries.
• Dry food for reptiles and turtles. Turtles do not need them and have a bad effect on the body.
• a lot of sorrel (due to the acid it contains);
• a lot of cucumbers (very swelling);
• herbs (thyme, basil)

Add vegetable protein to the food - these are soaked and sprouted beans, alfalfa is a good source of protein, but do not overuse it.

Buying food from pet stores is harmful to turtles. You can buy vitamin supplements at a pet store,
but with special attention.

Central Asian turtles must be given calcium supplements at the rate of 100 mg of “pure” calcium per 1 kg of turtle weight. Give no more than once a week. Glycerophosphate, carbonate, borogluconate, and calcium palmitate are not suitable because they are poorly absorbed by the body and are eliminated from it almost completely. It is best to give “natural” food - freshly picked plants.

During the fall and winter season, you can feed turtles hay, but you must also give them plenty of water. All turtles love sweet fruits, but it is strictly forbidden to give them in large quantities - this leads to obesity.

Reproduction of turtles

For reproduction you will need at least a pair of turtles, it is better to take three turtles of approximately the same age and weight;

Distinguishing a female from a male is not very easy for an amateur. When buying a turtle, look at the shape of the tail - if the turtle’s tail is longer and wider at the base, then most likely the person in front of you is a male; male Central Asian turtles often have a dent on the plastron closer to the tail. In males, the cloaca is located further along the tail than in females. In females, the plastron is flat, the tail is short due to the placement of the oviduct in their cloaca, without thickening. The cloaca is located near the end of the carapace, i.e. almost at the base of the tail. Males are often smaller than females.

Turtles reach sexual maturity: females from 10-12 years, males from 5-6 years;

Turtles mate from February to August. The duration of pregnancy is 2 months, after which the female lays from 2 to 6 eggs. Incubation at a temperature of 28-30°C lasts 60-65 days. Young turtles should be fed with mixtures of finely chopped vegetables and vitamin and mineral supplements.

About caring for land turtles

Do not be surprised if your pet turtle asks to hibernate: it begins to refuse food, behave sluggishly and apathetically. Please be aware that this process, due to non-compliance temperature conditions natural, they can be dangerous. Turtles living in captivity should not hibernate. This is harmful to their health.

It is necessary to walk with turtles in the summer. Sunbathing in the fresh air in warm weather (+28 or more) will allow you to avoid many problems in the future, the main thing is not to leave the turtle unattended while walking (oddly enough, turtles can move quickly and unpredictably whenever they want). If you are making a pen for a turtle, dig it 5-10 centimeters into the ground - turtles are good at digging under fences. Remember that it is almost impossible to find a lost turtle.

The turtle's enclosure must have shelter from direct sunlight - let the turtle choose where to sit.

After bathing, the turtle is wiped with a napkin. It is not necessary to place her under a lamp - give her a choice, she knows best what she needs.

If the shell does not look as beautiful as you want, then it is not the oil that will help you, but the veterinarian - we are most likely talking about improper care of the turtle. If it has uneven, highly lumpy scales, it is most likely the onset of rickets. Those. Either you do not irradiate the turtle with ultraviolet light (UV does not pass through glass), or you do not add mineral supplements to the food.

If you notice changes in your animal's behavior or appearance, for example, it has become more lethargic or its eyes have become swollen, do not hesitate - take it to the veterinarian

How long do turtles live?

On the Internet you will find information regarding the life expectancy of Central Asian turtles in the range from 5 to 40 years, on average 15 and this is the limit. And now directly what I want to say about how long turtles can live at home in captivity

When they bought me a turtle, she was 5-7 years old, now 20 years have passed since the purchase, i.e. my turtle has been living in captivity only with me for 20 years and it is unknown in what conditions and how long she lived with her previous owners. My turtle goes into hibernation for the winter in a corner near the balcony, but I do not advise letting unprepared turtles sleep, because... hibernation for a turtle there is always a risk of weakening too much and dying. In winter, sometimes I forcibly wake up the turtle, turn on the lamp and see what physical condition the turtle is in. I carefully give plant food in small doses, bathe it to cleanse the intestines, and after briefly warming up under a lamp, the turtle goes into hibernation until spring.

When you buy a turtle, you should be aware that you will have to carefully care for the turtle throughout its life and monitor its health and take measures for treatment if necessary. A turtle is not a toy for a child, it is a living, wise, unique creature, it is the only descendant of dinosaurs that previously lived on Earth. Please do everything possible so that your turtle lives a long time. happy life, I rejoiced myself and made you happy. The turtle does not need much, they eat little, food grows freely in nature.

Do not confine your turtle to a small enclosed terrarium as many sources recommend. My turtle has never lived in a terrarium or cage for the entire 20 years that he has been living with me. My turtle lives in the area near the windows, where there is a battery and its corners, and most importantly, access to a huge loggia, where she runs all summer from morning to morning. evenings. My turtle doesn’t walk around and shit around the apartment, he doesn’t cross the invisible line and he himself understands perfectly well where he can be and where he can’t. He is so smart and wise that when he needs something, he comes across the entire apartment to the owner and sits still.

Do not feed your turtle eggs, meat, vitamins, or dry food from pet stores if you want your turtle to have a long and fulfilling life. Follow the principle of creating natural environment, in which turtles live in the wild and your turtle will delight you for many years!